Friday, May 8, 2009

The Professor - Ch. 45.3

Count and Jenny hit the road early the next morning. The sun hadn’t even come up yet. It was still dark outside.

Because Jenny could barely keep her eyes open after their long night of passion and then early rising, Count volunteered to cover the whole journey even though they usually shared the driving on road trips. Her soft snores and a national news radio station kept him awake.

Halfway home, Count received a call from Earl on his cell phone. It was not good news.

“Megan is coming back in town today. To stay this time,” Earl informed rather gleefully. “She thinks Professor is going to divorce Aurora as soon as he finds out she’s back and now single again,” he said not so gleefully.

“Our new sister-in-law’s name is Aurelia,” Count corrected. “Megan’s single again? That was quick. Did she divorce her husband?” He frowned.

“No. The old coot up and died on her.” Earl chuckled, ignoring the fact that he would one day be an old man.

“Sorry to hear that for more reasons than one. Either way, Megan’s singleness is no longer Professor’s concern. Besides, he really loves his wife. I can personally attest to that,” Count replied.

“He loved Megan, too, for an even longer period of time,” Earl countered. “Because of their extensive history, Megan thinks that all Professor has to do is see her again and those old feelings are going to come rushing back in.”

“Even if they do, he is going to overcome them. Hey, if Professor can push past the sexual hang-up Aurelia has and still want a future with her, he can definitely push past any lingering feelings he has for Megan.”

Count winced, instantly wishing that he had kept his mouth closed on that particular matter. Since he had already opened that door, he quickly shared the sexual hang-up Aurelia had and why. Before hanging up the phone, he made Earl promise not to say anything to anyone.

“Bad move, Viscount Weaver,” a drowsy Jenny said from the passenger seat. “Earl is the last person you should have told that kind of information to. He’s going to use it against baby brother at the first opportunity.”

“If he knows what’s good for him, he’ll keep his mouth closed as promised. Otherwise there’s going to be a nice knuckle sandwich waiting for him,” Count replied, more than willing to put his considerable boxing skills to use on Earl if he betrayed his confidence.

“All I ask is that I get a ringside seat to the main event. Because somebody needs to pop that particular brother in the mouth…hard,” Jenny replied, thinking that Earl should have been popped in the mouth a long time ago. She almost did it the night he tried to come on to her. It was the same night she met the Weaver family for the first time.

Had Ana Maria not entered the room at that exact moment, Jenny probably would have slugged Earl. Thankfully, he has kept a respectable distance from her ever since. Had he persisted, she might have had to tell Count about that encounter. Or worse refused to marry into the Weaver family altogether, thereby forfeiting all the happiness that she has since enjoyed with her wonderful husband and his less dysfunctional relatives.